A VERY INC.
We are the people behind some of Manchester’s most popular food, drink and entertainment venues.
Our passion is for reimagining, repurposing and breathing life into neglected buildings and neighbourhoods in this amazing city.
For the past 17 months we have been operating Diecast, Manchester’s coolest new entertainment and tech incubator space.
OUR SITES.
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SWAN STREET, NORTHERN QUARTER
Detroit-style pizzeria, beer garden, with live music. Located in an old MOT station, tipi, shipping container and walled garden, Ramona is a unique, mostly outdoor venue.
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SWAN STREET, NORTHERN QUARTER
A California-inspired restaurant, bar & events space in an airy warehouse building with outside terrace for alfresco dining, wood grill, wild spirits and live entertainment.
Previous Sites.
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PETER STREET, MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE
A unique grade II listed former Wesleyan Chapel, restored and resurrected into a transformational live music and events space. Visitors to perform at the Albert Hall include Primal Scream, Manic Street Preachers, Tame Impala and Sam Smith.
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WHITWORTH STREET, MANCHESTER
Located within a formerly vacant railway arch, Manchester’s busiest live music venue. Opened in 2002. Bar, restaurant, live music and club venue.
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THOMAS STREET, MANCHESTER
In Northern Quarter. Opened 2007. Three floor neighbourhood bar and restaurant, including small outside terrace.
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PETER STREET, MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE
Located on the ground floor of the Albert Hall, Alberts’ Schloss is a unique food, drink and live entertainment offer. Drawing inspiration from Bavarian food halls, Alphine lodges and the great schlosses of Europe, Albert’s Schloss is an upmarket addition to the Manchester bar and restaurant scene.
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GROSVENOR STREET, MANCHESTER
Located near to Manchester University. Opened in 2008. An independent bar, club and live music venue.
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MANCHESTER, LEEDS, BIRMINGHAM, LIVERPOOL, LONDON
Rudys is a Neapolitan pizzeria, now with sites across Manchester, Liverpool, London, Birmingham, and Leeds.
LOCATION
diecast -
A Creative Neighbourhood
Diecast occupies the former Presbar Diecasting Foundry, a large warehouse building on a 200,000 sq ft plot bordered by Ducie Street, Store Street and the A665 ring road.
Located in Piccadilly East, the area is nestled beside Piccadilly Railway Station, and borders the Northern Quarter and Ancoats.
The area is characterised by warehouses, light industrial buildings and apartment blocks in old mills and new buildings. The area previously had very little leisure provision available on its doorstep.
Our Proposals
In 2022, we received temporary planning permission for a period of three years. We are now looking to make Diecast a long-term fixture of the Manchester cultural offering by securing full planning permission.
Alongside the application for long-term planning permission, we are also proposing a few minor alterations to the internal sub-division of the venue space which will allow us to continue delivering enjoyable, welcoming and pleasant experiences for all visitors.
Despite these minor alterations, Diecast will continue to operate as permitted under the current temporary planning permission.
Our Vision
Brooklyn Beer Hall and Brewery – Large visible, stainless steel brewing vessels. Large beer taps selection & long bar. Long communal tables, heritage & craft beer, small batch local spirits. Since opening, this space has played host to a number of popular events, including vintage fairs, drag shows, Co Op Live and AO Arena pre-parties and the Euros 2024 “Road to Victory” immersive fan zone.
Music & Theatre – Creative theatre, performance, dance, music, circus and arts. In-house rehearsal rooms & workshops, costume makers and prop studios. Diecast fosters a close relationship with local dance schools & the art community, and is looking forward to further developing this relationship into the future.
Leno Ex Machina – Atmospheric cocktail bar and restaurant. Cooking up Diecast’s very own NeoPan pizzas and Leno Burgers during the day and afternoons, and Roast Dinners with the Soul String Orchestra on Sundays. In the evening, Leno hosts immersive entertainment on its high-level walkways and gantry stages.
Creative / Tech Offices – Where art & technology intersect. These small, affordable, flexible spaces and workshops already host a range of Manchester’s top creatives, designers, innovators and entrepreneurs.
Night Market - Hosted within the original Diecasting Foundry, the Night Market will be an immersive night-time bazaar with food, drink and retail stalls operated by local, SME traders.
The Garden - Utilising repurposed materials found across the factory, alongside lovingly restored caravans to provide sheltered seating, Rum Town Garden is a green and leafy space to enjoy Diecast’s range of food and drink.
Independent Shops - Hosting local partners, the ambition is for these spaces to provide a home for a number of vendors and local artisans.
Our Investment in the Local Area
Repurposed, populated and lovingly restored a large, empty city centre plot
adding to the vibrancy of this area of the City Centre.
Supported the local supply chain
We source ingredients, beverages, and supplies from local vendors, contributing to the regional economy. We have relationships with both small and local suppliers and large national chains, all of which helps create jobs and spreads cash around.
Enhancing safetey and security
Increasing natural surveillance, and security personnel in the area.
Provided spaces for small businesses to grow and thrive
supporting Manchester’s creativity and innovation ecosystem.
Supported tourism
A thriving restaurant and entertainment venue can contribute to Manchester's reputation as a vibrant city, attracting more visitors and boosting the local tourism industry.
Contributed significant tax revenue
The substantial turnover generates significant tax revenue for the local government, which can be used to fund public services and infrastructure improvements.
Job creation
Diecast is a major employer in Manchester. We provide jobs for dozens of people, including servers, bartenders, kitchen staff, managers, security personnel, cleaners, creative types and so many more.
Directly supported local musicians & performers
as well as supporting associated production & technical professionals and companies.
Charity
3% of our turnover is donated to charity, and we have raised a significant amount of funding for Greater Manchester Youth Federation.
Helped skills development
We provide training and career development opportunities for employees, contributing to the overall skill level of the local workforce. In November 2024, we hosted our very own Management Academy, with 20 of our very own managers and supervisors attending a 2-day training session. This will trickle down to our staff and we will see the benefits. These members of our management team will take these skills far and beyond our company.
Created community gathering space
Successful establishments often become important social hubs, fostering community connections, and providing a space for people to socialize and celebrate. A great example of this is our Beer Garden which is lovely space in the summer or the gig space we have in the Beer Hall where we have local and national talent come to play and perform.
Operational
considerations
To manage noise within the venue, we have significantly enhanced the acoustic performance of the venue. Since gaining temporary planning permission in 2022, we have:
Installed quad sound board and rockwool internal walls;
Sealed all metal frames with acoustic mastic;
Increased the thickness of all walls to 460mm;
Built sound lobbies at the main entrance, acoustically treated glazing; and changed doors at the main entrance to ensure an improved acoustic performance;
Fitted out the Beer Hall with 50 x 150mm thick acoustic baffles;
Implemented a more refined Crowd Management Strategy to ensure a more efficient exit strategy for visitors.
We employ a professional and conscientious team to manage our operations. Our team has the overall aim of ensuring visitors to our venues feel welcome and safe, whilst making sure our operations do not adversely impact people living and working in the local area.
Brooklyn Beer Hall and Leno Ex Machina are open:
Wednesday 16:00 – 23:00
Thursday 16:00 – 00:00 (Midnight);
Friday and Saturday 12:00– 01:00;
Sunday 12:00 – 23:00.
We never close any later than 1am.
We understand the importance of working closely with our neighbours.
Operational Strategy
An Operational Strategy has been prepared which aims to ensure a steady flow of arrivals and departures during the defined opening hours.
Deliveries and Servicing
A Deliveries and Servicing Plan has been produced to minimise our impact on the local road network. All deliveries will pull off the public highway to make deliveries via the courtyard or lay-by on Ducie Street. Waste will be collected from Store Street car park. All deliveries and waste collection will take place after 8am and before 9pm.
Arrivals and Departures
A Crowd Management Plan has been implemented, which utilises the carefully positioned entrances and exits on Ducie Street to minimise noise impacts from people arriving and departing. Our staff and security team are trained to minimise the potential for antisocial behaviour. This involves the provision of stewards to provide guidance and reassurance.
HAVE YOUR SAY
The consultation on our proposals for Diecast is now closed.
We will now consider and respond to all of the feedback received before we finalise our proposals and submit a planning application to Manchester City Council.
If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch via email: consult@foundry-storestreet.co.uk
As part of the consultation, we held an in-person drop-in session. The session provided an opportunity to meet the project team, view our plans and tell us your views.
If you weren’t able to attend, please don’t worry as all of the information displayed at the event is available to view by clicking the link below.
